STUDY SESSION 14: INTRODUCTION TO SPREADSHEET

Introduction

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that helps you organize, analyze and present data

easily and efficiently. It is used for financial planning, scientific calculations, forecasting and

presentation of data in an attractive way.

Excel provides powerful tools to calculate and analyze data in your worksheets. You can

efficiently enter, edit and change the appearance of data in your worksheets. Excel helps you

create colorful charts using your worksheet data.

Learning outcomes for study session 14

At the end of this study session, you should be able to

 Create a new workbook to store new set of data

 Use special currency symbols in custom number formats

 Perform Calculations like addition, and subtraction of figures

 Analyze data on a worksheet using formula and function

 Draw Chart/Graph

14.1- Introduction Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is one of the most used software applications of all time. Hundreds of millions
of people around the world use Microsoft Excel. It can be used to enter all sorts of data and

perform financial, mathematical or statistical calculations. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet

program that is used to record and analyze numerical data. Think of a spreadsheet as a

collection of columns and rows that form a table. Alphabetical letters are usually assigned to

columns and numbers are usually assigned to rows. The point where a column and a row meet

is called a cell. The address of a cell is given by the letter representing the column and the

number representing a row. Let's illustrate this using the following image.

Reason for learning Microsoft Excel?

People deal with numbers in one way or the other. As individuals or organization, there are

daily expenses which are paid for from the monthly income earned. For one to spend wisely,

they will need to know their income vs. expenditure. Microsoft Excel comes in handy when

we want to record, analyze and store such numeric data.

14. 2- Creating a New Workbook

You can create a new workbook to store new set of data.

1. Move the mouse to the Microsoft office button, click New, press the left mouse button.

A New workbook dialog box appears. Under Templates, Blank and Recent, is selected

by default. Click on blank workbook. Click create. A blank workbook appears on the

screen. A workbook contains 3 worksheets by default. You can add or delete or rename

worksheets.

2. To create a workbook based on a template, move through the options in the Templates

and click the option you want. Then Click on the resulting the Spreadsheet Solutions

tab, and then activate the icon for the template you want.
 14.3- Use Special Currency Symbols in Custom Number Formats

1. Select the cells you want to format.

2. Open the Format Cell Dialog box. Click the Number tab.

3. In the Category box, click Custom.

4. In the Type box, select a custom number format.

5. Click OK at the end of the custom number format.

On the numeric keypad, hold down ALT and type the ANSI code for the currency symbol.

To enter Hold down ALT and type

¢ 0162

£ 0163

¥ 0165

 All error values are equal

 Blanks are always sorted last.

In a descending sort, Microsoft Excel reverses the order of everything except blank cells,

which are always sorted last.

Note: Microsoft Excel will use any custom sort order you select instead of the default or

order.

14.4- Calculation

Calculations like addition, and subtraction of figures can be done by selecting the range of cells
involved and click on AUTO SUM on your toolbar.

Addition: To add figures in different cells, select the range of cells

Click on Auto Sum (Σ).

Subtraction: Put the figure you want to subtract in bracket to make it a negative figure.

Select the range of cells and click Auto Sum.

How Subtotal and Grand Total Values Are Calculated

Microsoft Excel calculates subtotal values by using a summary function, such as SUM of

AVERAGE. You can display subtotals for more than one type of calculation at a time.

Grand total values are always derived from detail data, not from the subtotal rows. For

example, if you use the summary function AVERAGE, the Grand Total row displays an

average of all detail data in the list, not an average of the subtotal values.

Subtotal and grand total values are automatically recalculated as you edit detail data. Insert
subtotal into a list.

1. Sort your list by the column for which you want subtotals.
2. Click a cell in the list you want to subtotal.
3. On the Formulas Tab. Click Math and Trig button, then look for : Subtotals.

4. In the At Each Change In box, select the column that contains the groups for which you

want subtotals. This should be the Same column by which you sorted your list in step 1.

5. In the Use Function box, select the function you want to use to summarize the data.

6. In the Add Subtotal To box, select the columns that contain the values for which you want

subtotals.
 14.5- Creating Formulas

A formula can help you analyze data on a worksheet. You can perform operations, such as

addition, multiplication, comparison on worksheet values. Use a formula when you want to

enter calculated values on a worksheet.

A formula can include any of the following elements: operators, cell references, values,

worksheet functions, and names. To enter a formula in a worksheet cell, type a combination

of these elements in the formula bar.

A formula must begin with an equal sign (=).

14.6- Entering a Formula

1. Select the cell in which you want to enter the formula.

2. Type an equal sign (=), followed by a formula. If you begin a formula by pasting a name

or function, Microsoft Excel automatically inserts the equal sign.

Note: that you can also enter a formula by using the Function Wizard or pasting in copied

information

14.7- Using Functions

The built-in functions in Microsoft Excel perform standard worksheet and macro sheet

calculations. The values on which a function performs operations are called arguments. The

values that the functions return are called results. You use functions by entering them into

formulas on your worksheet. The sequences of characters used in a function are called the

syntax. The syntax of a formula begins with an equal sign (=) and is followed by a combination
of values and operators. If a function appears at the beginning of a formula, precede it with an

equal sign, as with any formula.

Parentheses tell Microsoft Excel where arguments begin and end. You must include both

parentheses, with no spaces before or after them. Arguments can be numbers, text, logical

values, arrays, error values, or references. The argument you designate must produce a valid

value for that argument. Arguments can also be constants or formulas, and as formulas can

contain other functions. When an argument to a function is itself a function, it is said to be

nested. In Microsoft Excel, you can nest up to seven levels of functions in a formula.

To switch between displaying formulas and their values, press CTRL+ (single left quotation

mark).

Editing Functions in Formulas.

1. Select the cell that contains the formula you want to edit.

2. Click

3. Edit the arguments

4. To enter your changes' and display the next function in the formula for editing, click

Next.

5. To enter your changes and return to the worksheet, click finish.

14. 8- Controlling Calculations in a Worksheet

Calculation is the process of computing formulas and then displaying the results as values in

the cells that contain the formulas. You can control when calculation occurs. Whenever

possible, Microsoft Excel updates only those cells affected by values you change so that you
can avoid unnecessary calculations.

Microsoft Excel uses the underlying stored values in cells for calculation, rather than the values

as you have formatted them to be displayed. For instance, a date that appear as "6/22/93" will

contains its underlying numeric value. (This means that you can change the appearance of at

the value (for example, to "6/22/93") on a worksheet without affecting the value itself.

As calculation proceeds, you can choose commands or perform actions such as entering

numbers or formulas. Microsoft Excel temporarily interrupts calculation to carry out the other

commands or actions, and then resumes calculation.

Note: To sum both rows and columns simultaneously, leave blank cells at the bottom and right

of your selection.

14.9- Chart/Graph

To draw chart, using the selected range of cells,

1. Select the range of cell that contains the data you want to chart

2. Click insert Tab, choose Charts Command set from the. Insert Chart Dialog box

opens. Select the chart type you want. Click OK.

3. Click anywhere on your worksheet to drop the chart

4. Follow the instructions, as shown in the diagrams below.

This section on chart/ Graph is very interesting that you need to study and explore

by yourself more of the possibilities that can be done.

Sales Chart for ABC Ltd for February, 2011

Selecting the range of data:

Displaying the Sales data in a Column Chart:

Displaying the sales data in a Pie-Chart:

The chart on the same page as the sheet :

You can leave your chart on the same sheet or you can decide to put it on a separate document,

labeled as chart 1 by default. You can however, re-name this chart 1 default name, to what you

want. The chart above is putting the chart on same page as the sheet

Choosing where to place the chart:

To do this:

Click Move Chart Location button (Move Chart Dialog box opens);

Select New Sheet, click OK.

14.10-Summary of study session 14

In this study session, you have learnt

 How to create a New Workbook in Microsoft Excel

 Use Special Currency Symbols in Custom Number Formats

 Perform Calculations

 Creating and Entering Formulas

 Using Functions

 Controlling Calculations in a Worksheet

14.11 - Self Assessment Questions for study session 14 (SAQs)

Using any version of Micro soft Excel available to you, design score sheet for twenty (20)

students showing their name and scores in any five (5) subject of your choice. Sum their total

score each and rate them based on percentage.

References/ Suggestions for further Reading